Custom® 455

While soft and easily formed in the annealed condition, Custom® 455 offers outstanding yield strength (three times greater than Grade 304) with impressive toughness and ductility resulting from a single-step ageing treatment. The alloy offers a perfect solution for applications where high strength with good corrosion resistance is possible via a simple heat-treating process.

Machining

Machining Custom® 455 is acceptable in the annealed condition, and hardening creates minimal dimensional changes, so the alloy is machinable to close tolerances. Machining is straightforward and requires a robust cutting tool and high-quality coolant, which should be expected with such a high-strength material.

Welding

The alloy may be welded by shielded fusion and resistance welding practices. Oxyacetylene welding is not possible. Welding in overaged conditions may be required if high stresses are present in the welding area.

Corrosion Resistance

Custom® 455 provides good atmospheric corrosion resistance, resisting staining from the air and no corrosion in freshwater. The alloy also offers good stress corrosion cracking resistance (SCC), further improving by increasing the ageing temperature. Passivation (treatment with an oxidant such as nitric acid to remove free iron) will prevent the material from rusting.